Than They Budgeted For

MORE THAN THey BUDGETED FOR RNAO members shake up budget day by visiting the Ontario legislature hours before the province’s fiscal plan is released. BY DANIEL PUNCH Photography BY KIMBERLEY KEARSEY t was a Queen’s Park Day no one will soon forget. News that the provincial government was introducing its 2016 budget on Feb. 25 – the same day 180 RNs, NPs and nursing students were visiting the Ontario legislature as part of RNAO’s signature political event – added Isome extra intrigue to an already exciting day. the jam-packed agenda saw nurses meeting with 59 Ontario mPPs for breakfast (61 over the course of the day), attending question period, and participating in question-and-answer sessions with leaders from all three political parties in the afternoon. the event finished with a presentation from the province’s Auditor General bonnie Lysyk. 18 MARCH/APRIL 2016 1 2 3 4 1 RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun (far left) acknowledges nursing power at Queen’s Park thanks to nurses-turned- MPPs (L to R) Kathryn McGarry (Liberal MPP for Cambridge), Laurie Scott (Conservative MPP for Haliburton- Kawartha Lakes-Brock), and Soo Wong (Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Agincourt). 2 Health Minister Eric Hoskins is careful with his words – but provides a few hints about health-care announcements – during an afternoon presentation in advance of the Liberal government’s budget. 3 This year marked Gennie Mae Sabeniano’s first Queen’s Park Day experience. The student and internationally educated nurse (IEN) approached the mic to share the struggles she’s experienced trying to meet the requirements to practise as a nurse in Ontario. 4 Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk (second from left) closed out Queen’s Park Day with a presentation about her 2015 report that found CCACs are providing inconsistent levels of care across the province. She was joined by colleagues Sandy Chan (right) and Lauren Hanna (left). RNAO policy co-ordinator and former NDP MPP Shelley Martel (second from right) was instrumental in pulling together this year’s Queen’s Park Day. REGISTERED NURSE JOURNAL 19 NAO members spent the day engaging with Ontario policy Rmakers, and when Finance minister charles sousa tabled his budget at 4 p.m., they saw many of the issues they discussed addressed in the province’s fiscal plan. the budget included an $85 million investment over three years to recruit and retain NPs in primary care, which RNAO hopes will help address a major disparity in how the province’s NPs are compensated. currently, NPs working in primary care make about $20,000 less annually than their counterparts in other sectors. Just as RNAO was a driving force behind 1 the proclamation of NP legislation in 1998, the introduction of NP-led clinics in Ontario, expanding the scope of practice for NPs, and placing attending NPs in long-term care homes, the association has long fought to ensure NPs are fairly compensated across all sectors. And this was a hot topic throughout Queen’s Park Day. in a breakfast meeting with Peter tabuns, NdP mPP (toronto danforth), RN Paul Koniec and primary care NP emmet O’Reilly explained how wage disparity has left one-in-five primary care NP positions in Ontario vacant. O’Reilly said he and his colleagues at south Riverdale community health centre in toronto have not received a pay increase for nine years, resulting in 2 retention problems. “i’m doing 85 to 90 per cent of a (family physician)’s scope of practice, but getting about one-third of the pay,” he explained. “i want (to become an) NP, but compensation (disparity) is absolutely deterring me,” added Koniec. during the afternoon session, health minister eric hoskins received a standing ovation when he suggested it was time for all NPs to receive adequate compensation. “you’ll be hearing more about NPs very, very soon, and about the value this government places on the vitally important role they play in patient care,” hoskins said, alluding to the forthcoming budget. cuts to RN jobs, and the replacement of 3 RNs with less-qualified health profes- 1 NP Emmet O’Reilly (centre) and RN Paul Koniec (left) talk to NDP MPP Peter Tabuns sionals, were also high on the day’s (Toronto-Danforth) about wage disparity for NPs in primary care, who make about agenda. Progressive conservative Leader $20,000 less annually than their counterparts in other sectors. 2 Conservative Health Patrick brown kicked off the morning’s Critic Jeff Yurek (centre, right) spoke alongside the party’s associate health critic for long-term care, Bill Walker (centre, left), at the afternoon Q&A session. The MPPs for question period with an impassioned plea Elgin-Middlesex-London and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, respectively, talk to members for the government to invest in the following their presentation. 3 Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and province’s nurses, saying he was “angry” International Trade, Michael Chan (MPP for Markham-Unionville) (centre), met for breakfast with members of RNAO’s Durham-Northumberland chapter, including (from that more than 1,000 nursing jobs were left) board member-at-large Angela Cooper Brathwaite, Claudia Wong, Sylvia Young, and lost in Ontario over the past year. speaking board representative Beatriz (Betsy) Jackson. 20 MARCH/APRIL 2016 IMPRESSIONS FROM A FIRST-TIME VISITOR “Recently, the Windsor-Essex chapter sponsored a nursing student to attend Queen’s Park Day. Her reflection is validating because it shows how we are building capacity in our novice members. These students are RNAO’s future. Her overall impression of the event (below) left me with goose bumps, and made my day.” Dana Boyd, President RNAO Windsor-Essex chapter 4 “Queen’s Park Day was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I learned much while shadowing long-time member Carolyn Davies, and was introduced to many members of the legislative assembly and RNAO. Politics is multi-faceted and my appreciation for it has grown. At the MPP breakfast, RNs’ scope of practice and knowledge within an acute care setting was discussed. Our board of directors representative Deborah Kane (Region 1) discussed the importance of the interprofessional team with Windsor West NDP MPP and education critic Lisa Gretzky. We also met with NDP MPP Percy Hatfield, who actively listened to the issue of affordable housing and its role as a social determinant of health. As a result of our prompting, he questioned the Liberal Party 5 about its stance on affordable housing during question period. Overall, my experience left me 4 RNAO President-Elect Carol Timmings (right) facilitates questions from members for with a sense of hope and excitement. Nurses NDP Deputy Leader Jagmeet Singh (Bramalea-Gore-Malton) (left) and nurse-turned-NDP MPP Cindy Forster (Welland). 5 Over breakfast with Conservative MPP Toby Barrett can change the world.” (Haldimand-Norfolk) (second from left), corrections nurse Shirley Kennedy (second Kayla Spencer, nursing student from right) shares her concerns about scope of practice limitations for nurses in St. Clair College, Windsor Ontario jails. to RNAO members in the afternoon, included an additional $345 million party leader Jagmeet singh – said her party brown’s fellow Pc mPP and health critic for hospitals. was against all cost-saving measures that Jeff yurek blamed a four-year hospital could affect patient care. Forster, who is budget freeze for putting acute care or RNAO ceO doris Grinspun, this also an RN, says utilizing nurses to their administrators in a tough position. investment is a good start, but she full scope could be a more efficient use of “Now (hospitals) are choosing between Fsays more action is needed to health resources. staff and services, and we’re seeing address RN replacement. she insists the “the best way to (maximize health-care nursing positions lost across the province,” new funding be earmarked to hire spending) is to maximize the skills and the said yurek, who was joined by Pc mPP full-time RNs, so hospitals will stop training of our nurses, so you can practise bill Walker. cutting RNs in favour of less qualified care to your full scope,” Forster told RNAO When RNAO board member elizabeth providers. “you can’t claim to put patients members. edwards raised the issue of RN replace- first and then fail to ensure you have the At last year’s Queen’s Park Day, hoskins ment with hoskins, he told nurses these right care provider caring for patients with and Premier Kathleen Wynne reiterated job losses “…shouldn’t and can’t take complex needs,” Grinspun says. their commitment to allowing RNs to place.” When his Liberal Party announced NdP mPP cindy Forster – who attended prescribe medication, and have since the budget just a few hours later, it the afternoon session alongside deputy tasked the health Professions Regulatory REGISTERED NURSE JOURNAL 21 Advisory council (hPRAc) with deter- mining the best way forward with the initiative. As RN prescribing becomes a reality, RNs must be able to prescribe independently – rather than being tied down by predetermined lists – in order to maximize the impact on the health system, says RNAO President vanessa burkoski. in her breakfast meeting with Pc mPP toby barrett, correctional RN shirley Kennedy explained how full scope of practice would help address mental health issues in Ontario prisons. “if nurses had the ability to prescribe medications (in jails), the health outcomes would be much better,” said 1 Kennedy, who is president of RNAO’s correctional Nurses’ interest Group. throughout the day, nurses and mPPs also discussed other key RNAO priorities such as restructuring health care by anchoring the system – and care co-ordina- tion – in primary care, ending homelessness, and implementing an effective carbon pricing system.

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